Zuko

When I wake up, I look around and see Katara passed out at the bottom of Appa's tail, her hand in the icy water.

"Katara!" I say and slide down with her. I pull her hand out of the water and see her fingers are blue. I flip her on her back and see her lips are turning that way too. She pushed herself too far and passed out. "Oh she's going to kill me for this," I mutter and pick her up and get us both back in the saddle. I lay her on top of some fur blankets and strip off my shirt, then lay behind her and pull her close to me, wrapping the blankets around us both, and heating my skin to get through her clothes. I remember my training from when I first started sailing after I was banished that prepared us for the polar water. If someone has signs of hypothermia and you don't have an immediate heat source, skin to skin is best. I'm not going to strip her down until I absolutely have to, though. She's likely to kill me as it is. I heat my core temperature and fold her iced hand in both of mine, heating it up best I can without burning it. She's cold. Freezing. And I'm worried for her life, But pulling her close like this I can't help but feel her strong physique and how soft her skin is.

"Katara, please don't take this the wrong way when you wake up." I say to her, but it's more like a prayer than a request.

Katara

I come out of a dream, more like a nightmare. Reliving what happened to my mother, and coming to a crossroads with Aang on one side and Yen Ra on the other. I see Zuko in Ba Sing Se, and the vulnerable way he let me touch his face when I was about to heal him. I also see his rage when he betrayed us not an hour later. I feel myself surrounded by cold, but my clothes do so little to help I might as well be naked. Zuko's in front of me, holding out his hand. I can tell it's an offer for warmth, all I have to do is trust him. And I want to. But it's too much. I can't. He gets farther and farther away, until my body is crystallizing with ice.

I wake with a start and stifle a scream, hugging myself close for warmth. Now that I'm awake, I realize I'm already warm. More than that, I feel almost cozy and comfortable. There's a nice heat warming my back, and focusing on one of my hands. Opening my eyes, I see I'm not on Appa's tail anymore. I'm in the saddle, wrapped in comfortable furs. I look down at my hand and see it's encased in two others, and realize that the heat from behind me must be coming from Zuko too. Another heat burns through me, this one not near as pleasant as I get on my feet quickly as I can.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing?!" I yell at him. He stirs and shakes his head, like he's knocking the sleep off. I decide to help him out and douse him with a blast of the freezing water all around us.

"Katara!" He yells back at me and jumps to his feet. "What in the name of Agni?!" He's not wearing a shirt, and my stomach twists at the realization. He thought that just because I was asleep he could strip half naked and hold me close like that?

"What were you thinking?!"

"You were freezing to death!" He yells so loud his voice sounds hoarse. He's steaming. Literally. I bet he's warming his core temperature to dry himself off. Nice trick.

"Are you kidding me? Waterbenders don't freeze! There's a reason we live at the poles!"
"When you're conscious, sure. You can control the temperature of the water and humidity around you. But you were passed out from exhaustion, Katara. Your hand was in the freezing water and your fingers and lips were blue."
"Oh and you just had to take your shirt off to help me get warm?"
"Actually, yes, I did! You should know that being raised in the poles! The best way to heat a hypothermic person is skin to skin contact!"

"You-" I start, but cut myself off. He's right. As much as I hate to admit it, he's right.

"I'm sorry you had to wake up like that." He says in a softer voice. "I wouldn't violate your space like that. I need you to trust me on that."

"I can't trust you!" I try to yell, but it comes out more of a forced whisper.

"You can't trust me with everything. I wish you did but I get why you don't. But you can trust me with this. I would never do that, " He tells me, and something in his tone calms me down and makes me believe him.

"Okay. Okay." I say softly. "I believe you." I can tell he's having to fight a smile off. "Now can you please put a shirt on?" His smile goes away and is replaced by a smirk.

"What? Am I too…Distracting?" He asks, and I Roll my eyes as I notice him flexing his abs. His eight pack abs. I fight off a smile.

"Don't flatter yourself, Fire Prince. We've still got a long flight to the Fire Nation capital." I climb up to take Appa's reins. "And since we're all so well rested now, Yip Yip." I say and snap the reins. Appa groans and jumps off the iceberg, soaring into the sky.